Question about adjusting tax rate during tribute demands?

[Cryptor]

Occasionally the AI demands tribute when I'm running a deficit. This causes my gold to hit zero and then the next turn I lose an improvement due to lack of upkeep. Is there a way to change the tax rate during the AI's turn to change the deficit into a surplus before the next turn?

[Dominae]

I'm pretty sure the answer is no.

[vmxa1]

Don't pay the tribute. Better yet improve your defenses to the point where you are not weak compared to them and avoid the demand for tribute.

[joncnunn]

Um, use the time machine cheat to go back decrease your science rate.

The alternative is have less than 20 gold on hand, they like to ask for 20+ gold.

[Sabre2th]

Originally posted by joncnunn
Um, use the time machine cheat to go back decrease your science rate.

The alternative is have less than 20 gold on hand, they like to ask for 20+ gold.

If you have a weak military and nothing to offer them, doesn't that just lead to war?

[vmxa1]

joncnunn I have had them ask for much less than 20 gold. I used to use that concept, thinking it would help, but it did not.

Also as was mentioned, it can lead to war, but that is probably coming anyway.

[joncnunn]

Yes, but in that case, you'll see them coming a mile away and can considerly delay the war by a mobile wall that keeps them from getting adejant to any of your cities. (It's going to want to start the war via a sneak attack on one of your cities)

Originally posted by Sabre2th


If you have a weak military and nothing to offer them, doesn't that just lead to war?

[Yosho]

Originally posted by vmxa1
joncnunn I have had them ask for much less than 20 gold. I used to use that concept, thinking it would help, but it did not.

Also as was mentioned, it can lead to war, but that is probably coming anyway.

Not always...if one of the AI's asks for a small tribute, say 30 gold and a map or something, very often if you pay it to them they won't go to war. They may ask you for more tribute a while turns later, like 20 turns later or something like that, but that's fine, in a lot of situations it's a small price to pay. Last game I was able to avoid any real wars until about 1850 by paying tribute and encouraging wars between AI's, and by then I had enough of a science lead that it was easy.

On the other hand, if they ask you for something big, like a new tech that no one else has yet, and you give it to them, war is probably inevitable anyway.

[Cryptor]

I'm playing a AU506 at Sid Level, so unprepared wars will hurt. I decided to just run a surplus all the time when my cash is low anyway.